Combined shutter and finder for photographic cameras.



924,088. F11' il J. A. MESER.

CONIBINUD SHUTTER AND ENDEB. POE PHOTOGBHIG GM-.EEAS.

APPLIUATION FILED animo, 190s.

UNITEB STATE PAENT FFlQlE.

JESSE A. MEISER, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO .IOHN A. PRENTICE, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINE@ SEUTTER AND FINDER FOB, FHOTOGRAPIIIC CAMERAS.

ivo. 924,088.

Specication of Letters Patent.

APatented June 8, 1909.

Application tiled October 20, 1968. Serial No. l58,710.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, .Inssn A. Mnisnn, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Eureka, in the county` of Humboldt and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Shutters and Finders for Photographic Cameras, of

. which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the general class of photographic cameras, and particularly to parts thereof or attachments thereto which have for their object the convenient finding or observation of the image on the ground-glass, and the timely exposure of the plate conformablyto such observation. The device may, therefore, be properly termed a combined shutter and finder, and though it may be applied to any camera, its especial advantage is in connection with a portrait camera in that it aifords opportunity for the operator to most conveniently observe the 1n age a diiiicult subject, a child for example, without himself distracting the attention of the subject; and at the critical moment to expose the plate, by'. means of a shutter which is so arranged .as to permit the slide of the plate-holder to be at any time previously withdrawn, thereby leaving the plate in readiness to be exposed, when, by observation, in the finder, the proper moment arrives.

These are the objects of my invention and to these ends my invention consists in-the novel combined shutter and finder, which I shall now fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, F' dotted lines showing the sbveral courses and reflections of the light.

4Ehe device best takes the form of an attachment to the baci; of the camera, though it may, of course, form an original part of its construction. As an attachment, it has a frame l, which on its inner side is so formed that it may make, in any suitable manner, a light-tight. connection with the camera-box, which it is not necessary herein to show.

The outer face of the frame l is formed with a seat 2 to receive a late-holder, (not shown) which may be he d in its place by any suitable means, as, for example, by the fixed flange 3 on one sideand the adjustable flange 4 on the other'side. Adjoining the plate-holder seat 2 in the outer face of frame l is the finder-opening 5 which is large enough to permit observation of the full sized image. Dividing the frame 1 between the plate holder seat and the iinder-opening is the ground-glass 6, which lies parallel with the side of the bellows chamber of the camera, instead ot crossing the back of said chamber as customary. Extending inwardly from the opposite side of the plate-holder seat is a fixed wall 7, the surface of which by painting or by covering with black cloth is made non-actinic. The ground-glassv 6 and the wall 7 thus form between them an extension of the bellows chamber of the camera, so that the image will fall upona` plate, when exposed in the plate-holder, which is to be fitted to the seat 2. The shutter which controls this extension space is designated by 8. This shutter is a mirror, its reflecting surface being on its inner side. Its outer surface is best made black to properly darken the plate-holder chamber behind it. rlhe shutter extends diagonally between the inneredge of the wall 7 and the outer edge of the ground-glass 6, and lies at such an angle when closed, as to reflect the image squarely to the ground-glass, as shown by the dotted line. It is hinged at its outer edge at 8 so that in swinging open, its inner edge leaves the wall 7 and the shutter opens to a position approximately parallel with the ground glass. The several surfaces with which it comes in contact at its limits 0f movement, both in opening and closing should be suitably cushioned so that jar and noise are avoided. Extending from the inner edge of the ground-glass 6, diagonally to the outer edge 0f the finder opening 5, is a se ond mirror 9, the reflecting surface of whic is exposed to said opening. The a gle of this mirror is such as to reflect the image from the ground-glass backwardly to the eyes of the operator, as shown by the dotted line.

Any suitable means may be provided to operate the shutter 8. I have here showna rubber bellows l0 within the frame, connected by a -push-rod 1l with the lower edge x.of the shutter. A pneumatic hand-bulb l2 is suitably connected with the bellows l0. The operation of this bulb opens the shutter, with a varying speed depending on the pressure. The shutter is closed by a toggle-lever 13, affected by a spring 14.

The operation of the device is as follows z-The shutter being closed, the plateholder is fitted to its seat 2, and the slide is drawn, so that the plate is ready for lightexposure. It is, however, perfectly safe in this position as no light can reach it as long as the shutter is closed. The image thrown by the open lens of the camera falls on the mirrored surface of the shutter, and isle-1 iiected on the ground-glass 6. The operator sees this image in the mirror 9. rI he position of the operator is a very advantageous one, in that he does' not by any of his movements distract the attention of the subject, and he can patiently await the moment, when, as revealed to him by the full image directly before him5 the properv pose and expression arepresent. Then without more ado he instantly operates the shutter and exposes the plate, the dotted line showing the direct course of the light to the plate.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ieu- 1. A combined shutter and finder for photographic cameras, comprising a frame having in its rear face a plate-holderl seat and a finder-opening arranged side by side; a movable shutter within the frame disposed to controlthe projection of the image from the camera lens to the plate, said shutter having an inner reflecting surface; a ground-glass within the frame arranged to receive the reieeted image from the shutter when the latter is closed; and a second reflecting surface within the frame arrange to reiect the image from the ground-glass to the iinder-opening.

2. A combined shutter and nder for photograp'hic cameras, comprising a frame having in its rear face a plate-holder seat and linder-opening arranged side by side; a xed wall and a swinging shutter arranged within .the frame to form a plate-exposing chamber,

controlled by the swinging of the shutter,

.said shutter having its inner surface, which is exposed to the camera, a reflecting one; a ground-glass arranged in the frame to receive the reflected image from the shutter when closed; and a mirror within the frame to reflect the image from the ground-glass to the finder-opening.

8. A combined shutter and iinder for photographic cameras1 comprising a frame having in its rear face a plate-holder seat and finder-opening arranged side by side; a ground-glass extending inwardly in said frame in a plane between said seat and opening; a wall extending inwardly inthe frame from the outer side of the plate-holder seat; a mirror extending from the inner edge .of the ground-glass to the outer side of the finder opening with its' reiiecting surface exposed to said opening; and a swinging shutter extending between the outer edge of the ground-glass and the inner edge of the wall,- the inner surface of said shutter exposed to the ground-glass being a mirror.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two 'subscribing witnesses.

JESSE A. MEISER. Witnesses:

JOHN SfDEUEL, G. A. MCLEAN. 

